Full Circle

Two days later...


Xander wriggled around in the hard chair, struggling to get comfortable in the confines of the prickly material covering the old piece of furniture. With a glance towards the slumbering vampire that was still confined to one side of his double bed, Xander, not for the first time, wondered just who had worked Spike over so viciously. It was a question that the whole Scooby Gang, including Riley, Anya and Tara, wanted answering. However, each time either Giles or Xander had asked Spike, the distraught vampire had burst into very un-demon like tears.

Whoever it was, and both he and Giles had come to the conclusion that it had been a human someone because Spike could fight fellow demons, had gone out of their way to cause Spike as much harm as possible, short of actually staking him.

Finally getting somewhat comfortable in the chair, Xander thought back to the conversation that he and the gathered friends had had the next afternoon while at the Magic Box, Xander frowning with annoyance at the gasping and moaning that Spike was uttering. His frown deepened as he tried to block out the only noises that the vampire now seemed capable of as he followed his train of thought.

Giles had been worried by Spike's inability to keep any of the blood that he had been fed once settled into Xander's bed. Xander had been unable to stop himself from commenting how lucky Giles had been not to get splattered by the red wave that had come from Spike. However, Giles was mostly concerned by the dent in Spike's skull right above where the chip was known to be, and Spike's definite loss of speech.

Tara, in a surprisingly strongly offered opinion, had come up with the possibility that Spike's inability to utter more than soft grunts and whispered squeals was due to the chip maybe having been damaged in the attack. Willow had looked at her girlfriend with pride before agreeing with the idea, the rest of the friends coming to the same conclusion only a minute or two later.

Sitting on the sofa as close to Riley as she could, short of actually sitting on his lap, Buffy had tossed her hair and declared that it might be best for Spike to just dust himself and save her the trouble of getting 'icky demon particles' out of her new clothes. Riley, holding his lovers hand firmly in his own much larger grasp, had agreed at once with Buffy, stating that if Spike could no longer talk, then he was essentially useless and should be removed instead of letting a damaged hostile continue its existence.

It had only been the protests of both the witches, pointing out that they still didn't know if Spike was good for anything else, that had the five other Scooby members reluctantly agreeing to see how Spike's recovery progressed. Once this had been decided, Giles had left with Buffy and Riley to speak with the new army of demons and try to persuade the 'meows', as they had been named, to leave Sunnydale to the Slayer.

The demons had regretfully complied with the ex-Watchers request to leave, but only after offering Buffy her own slice of Sunnydale. Having instructed Giles to decline politely on her behalf, Buffy and the others had watched as the 'meows' had gathered up their possessions and stepped into the swirling void that had appeared between the cloven feet of their leader.

Or at least, Xander had been told that the void had been all swirly and, according to Willow, emanating serious mystery. Sighing, he came back to the present, bitter that he had been forced into the role of vampire nursemaid, but somewhat grateful that Giles had been able to speak directly to his understanding boss. Although his boss had been less than happy to give Xander time off work, Giles had convinced the man by fabricating a tale of home nursing and a sick mother.

Thankfully, his boss had understood and agreed to let Xander off work for two full weeks, without pay, but Xander having the advantage of having a job waiting for him. Giles, posing as Xander's uncle, had been satisfied with the result.

Seeing that Spike was starting to wake out of his deep slumber, Xander rose from the chair and padded barefoot into the kitchen. Fridge opened, he took a blood bag from an overflowing shelf, hoping that this time, Spike would keep most of it down.

Spike jerked at the ding of the microwave as it finished heating, instantly relieved to be away from the nightmare that featured the five members of Arseholes Incorporated beating into him again. Not fully awake, he watched warily through half closed eyes as Xander walked from the kitchen towards him, a mug clutched in one hand and a tea towel in the other. As soon as the smell of the warm blood wafted his way, Spike felt his stomach clench in anticipation, a low rumble signalling how hungry he felt. His hunger was slightly dampened as he worried if he was going to be sick this time.

~ Christ, I'll be givin' that Twiggy bint a run for her money if I keep this bulimia bullshit up! ~

Unable to stop himself, Spike found himself shrinking back into the pillows as Xander approached Spike's side of the bed. As Xander scowled at him, a mug was placed into Spikes left hand; the mug tipping dangerously due to the awkward position that the vampire was lying in. Trying to sip the thick liquid slowly, Spike was hesitant to go any faster in case his stomach rebelled, as it had on all previous occasions. Still, Spike was relieved to feel himself slip into full game face as he gulped down his blood, the first time since being found in the crypt.

~ Aarrrgghh... cack! F'n awful, but it'll do. Friggin' starvin' anyway. ~

Swallowing a little faster, Spike visibly flinched when Xander reached down towards his face to wipe at the excess blood trickling down Spike‘s chin, threatening to stain the bed sheets.

~ Wow, don't I feel like the manliest of all men with the Whelp goin' all Mr. Mom on me. Remember Spikey, former Master Vampire here... hmmph, like anyone gives a shit right now? ~

Spike allowed a small smile of triumph to twitch across his face as he was able finally to finish a whole meal without throwing most it up. His eyes drooping from the sheer effort of trying not to tremble from the obviously frighteningly close presence of the Harris boy, Spike willed himself not to fall straight back into the dream that had featured Riley and his mates wrenching his limbs out heirheir sockets in some bizarre Hellmouth version of 'Twister'.

Xander stood with the empty mug clutched in his hand. Unable to stop himself, he cautiously reached out with his free hand to stroke lightly at the bleached blond locks of the twitching, moaning vampire. A frown slid across his features as he wondered why he had reached out to comfort someone he hated, Xander walking back into the basement‘s tiny kitchen to rinse the blood from the mug. With a shake of his head, Xander put the incident out of his mind and concentrated on washing his breakfast dishes.

Meanwhile, Spike whimpered as the soft caress on his still aching head left and he was once again in his crypt with five figures coming towards him.

Alone as he always seemed to be.